Disruption 2020: An interview with Clayton M. Christensen: With technology and capital rapidly increasing the pace of innovation, Christensen’s thinking is more relevant today than ever. What do we know now about the power of disruption and where it’s taking us? http://bit.ly/2SaSu6o 

Alexander Privitera: Could central banks develop their own digital currencies? Central banks have a somewhat more complex raison d’être, hence the growing consensus among them that it may be necessary to step in.  In a recent letter to members of the European Parliament, the president of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde, recognized that “stablecoin initiatives such as Libra aim to overcome shortcomings in cross-border payments. … At the same time … innovations — including stablecoins — will only be beneficial if the associated risks are mitigated through effective regulation and oversight.”  http://bit.ly/2RWPQCn 

At least 29 people have died in electric scooter crashes since 2018. Atlanta has the highest death rate among cities worldwide.

Virtual kitchens — delivery-only cooking facilities — are gaining traction among investors, restaurants, brands, and grocers, with funding up more than 12x in 2019.

Dumb or smart? The future of military robots: As armies look to advance their use of robots, they are faced with the choice of either developing ‘dumb’ software able to follow human instructions, or ‘smart’ technology that can carry out tasks autonomously. Both systems raise questions, as Ross Davies reports. http://bit.ly/3b58JdY 

One step closer to a batsuit for soldiers: Defense One reports, with Defense Department money, researchers from Florida Atlantic University are using advanced polymers and carbon nanotubes to engineer a new type of body fabric that could prove 300 times as strong as today’s state of the art, but just as light.  Hassan Mahfuz, the lead investigator on the project at FAU, says, “The whole idea is to absorb the energy and be able to dissipate very quickly so it doesn’t concentrate” and pierce the fabric and the person inside of it. http://bit.ly/3bBTTMu 

The Trump administration's 2021 budget will earmark nearly $2 billion for AI research by 2022, up from $973 million today. It also includes $860 million in "quantum information sciences" spending within the next two years, double the 2020 number.

CNBC: ‘Clothing designed to become garbage’ — Fashion industry grapples with pollution, waste issues

The $2.5 trillion fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters and the second-biggest consumer of water.

The major issue is that most of the fabrics in cheap garments are synthetics and polyesters, which are derived from oil and petroleum production. Unlike wool or cotton, synthetic particles don’t biodegrade.

An algorithm that can spot cause and effect could supercharge medical AI: The technique, inspired by quantum cryptography, would allow large medical databases to be tapped for causal links. http://bit.ly/2vTrelv

FDA clears Sony's surgery video-sharing platform: Sony has received clearance from the FDA for its digital workflow collaboration platform for hospital operating rooms and catheter labs. The company’s NUCLeUS software is designed to provide imaging management at 4K resolution as well as still images and patient data, plus it has the ability to capture and share live or archived surgical videos for teaching purposes. "We are eager to put NUCLeUS in the hands of doctors, nurses and OR managers in the U.S. so they can experience first-hand how the platform can dramatically improve surgical collaboration and potentially contribute to better patient outcomes," Theresa Alesso, president of Sony Electronics' Pro division, said in a statement. http://bit.ly/2S4gTfm 

Web traffic increases in 2019 were driven by mobile; top 100 sites saw an average of 223B monthly visits.

Coal’s dwindling holdouts: LAT reports, the numbers tell the story: There are just 20 coal-fired power plants in the continental West whose owners haven’t committed to fully retiring them by specific dates, data compiled by the Sierra Club and additional research by The Times show. That’s compared to 49 that have shut down in the last decade or are slated to.

Robots will eat your job: The Passion Economy author Adam Davidson on why that’s a good thing. http://bit.ly/2Oyohxj 

A growing presence on the farm: Robots: A new generation of autonomous robots is helping plant breeders shape the crops of tomorrow. https://nyti.ms/39xFfEc

Here’s how just four satellites could provide worldwide internet: A group of engineers thinks it’s found a cheaper way to use high-altitude satellites to deliver global coverage. http://bit.ly/3btABbS 

The US throws away 18.2 million mattresses every year.

Automation, skills and the future of work: What do workers think? The IMF survey contains information on how 11,000 workers across advanced and emerging market economies perceive the main forces shaping the future of work. In general, workers feel more positive than negative about automation, especially in emerging markets. The IMF found that negative perceptions about automation are prevalent among workers who are older, poorer, more exposed to job volatility, and from countries with higher levels of robot penetration. http://bit.ly/38g2GkR